Hi everyone!
It's been a busy week starting our full day, full week kindergarten classes. It's been incredibly challenging with both the language barrier and a completely different way of teaching and discipline here. The kids are quite ... insane. 'Terrors' might be a good word ... today I got bit, broke up a fist fight, and spent most of the day yelling at kids to stop hitting one another. Needless to say ... glad that tomorrow is Friday. Lesley gave me some time to spend supervising the class by myself, as most of the time I am just observing ... and it was challenging and nerve wracking to be in charge of so many kids on my own! We had thirty today, the most we've had, but thirty-six are registered. So our class may grow.
The past couple nights after school we've spent exploring. I tend to stay inside in the evenings, minus an occasional trip to the rooftop to see my sky, but Tuesday night Lauren and Kylie encouraged me to go for a walk with them. We loaded up on bugspray and went for a walk down the main street. We didn't get too far before we were greeted by a friendly woman into her shop, so we stopped to talk, and visited with her family ... and their pet monkey! Their pet monkey is named Hope, and his favorite treat is bubble gum. They gave us some bubble gum so we could see him play with it, and he pulled it out of his mouth, played with it with his hands ... it was hilarious. The lady, Gladys, is a teacher here in Asamankese, and her English was great - she taught us a few Twi words, and sent us home with some ground nuts. They are sweeter than peanuts and small and round. The kids that were there loved playing with Lauren's iPhone and listening to her music, and Gladys told us that the next time we come from Canada she wants us to bring her back an iPhone, haha! Anyways, Asamankese is a different place at night. Everyone is out and about, walking and visiting and it was awesome to experience it.
Yesterday after school Lesley and I went to visit the girl from Switzerland that stopped by the school a couple weeks ago to introduce herself (I think I blogged about it). She is here until December, and invited us to come visit her and her host family. She is volunteering at a hospital about a half an hour away from here, and staying with a family who runs an orphanage. We had quite the adventure on the way there. We hired Isaac, one of Belinda's friends, to take us there in his taxi, but we got stopped at a police check. There seemed to be an argument or disagreement between Isaac and the taxi driver, and before we knew it the police driver poked his head into the window of the backseat, and said, "You are welcome here. But your driver is misbehaving. We are going to call you another taxi." So we waited, confused, until another taxi picked us up to drive us the rest of the way. Needless to say, we later found out that the police told him he was underage to own a taxi (?) and actually threw him in jail and confiscated his car! It was such a strange situation!
Anyway, we finally made it to meet Sarah and her host family, and they were incredibly welcoming and excited to see us. They showed us the orphanage and we met all of the kids, fourteen of them in total. Kylie and the rest of us hope to visit again this weekend as they are always looking for volunteers. We met two other girls, from Holland, who are spending a couple months at the orphanage to help out. We talked about where we'd travelled, where we hoped to travel still and all the things we missed about home (showers, flushing toilets, and cheese!).
So anyways, I am headed off to bed to be well rested for what I am sure is to be a crazy day tomorrow. Please keep us all in prayers, and especially the students as I know one of our biggest challenges is the language barriers. Missing you all!
Angie
Thursday, September 6, 2012
Monday, September 3, 2012
Full moons, Lies, and Walking on Water
Thursday night we began
preparations for our long trip to Beyin Beach by staying up far too late – Kylie,
Lauren and I found our way onto the top of the roof of the guesthouse
to observe the blue moon. Sadly it was cloudy, so we sat and talked
and waited until in one glorious moment, the skies broke and the
beautiful moon shone straight atop of us. It was a breathtaking
moment – Asamankese's lights below us on the hill, and the hidden
moon now appearing above us. This, I thought, this
is beauty!
Friday morning we
were up bright and early as our driver was supposed to arrive
sometime in between eight and nine. However, a flat tire combined
with African time meant we left closer to ten instead. We passed the
long drive by reading and sleeping and watching movies, and after one
short detour, we arrived just in time to catch the African sunset
over the ocean. It was absolutely stunning. The sun shone a bright
pink, and literally dropped so quickly the sun was set within mere
minutes. I guess this is what happens when you live so close to the
equator! As night descended, we unpacked in our rooms and went to the
dining hut (I say hut because all of the buildings were thatched and
minus our chalets were open concept). We discovered the best treat
for four Canadians living in Africa – hot, gooey, fudge brownies!
Needless to say we had those every dinner while we stayed there :)
After supper we
explored the ocean under the full moon and a sky full of stars. We
definitely left our mark in the Gulf of Guinea ... let's just say
there was more than one full moon that night! :) After we headed to
our rooms to enjoy beautiful hot showers – what a treat! - and then
headed to bed. The next morning we discovered a beautiful day
outside, and after breakfast we spent the rest of the day by the
beach. Kylie, Lauren and I wandered down the beach to discover the
fisherman taking in their catch for the day. Many of the locals were
gathered around, and were incredibly friendly and explained the
different types of fish they had caught. They offered to sell us some
but since both Lauren and I don't like fish we politely refused!
Amongst all of their fish in their nets were jellyfish and stingrays,
and we saw some of the young kids playing with squid that they had
caught. It was interesting to see how the daily 'fish catch' was
something everyone was involved in, whether it be the actual fishing
or the bartering and selling.
Also it's
interesting – I don't consider myself someone who can lie easily,
sometimes I am convinced I have an inability to lie – but here you
find the lies sometimes just slip off your tongue when single
Ghanaian men are being incredibly forward! For example, here's a
conversation that happens far too often and happened while observing
the fishermen bringing in their catch:
Ghanaian male: Are
you married?
Me: (Pause) Yes.
Yes, I am. (Hide left hand behind hip)
Ghanaian male: Oh.
Where is your partner then? Back in Canada?
Me: (Another
pause). Yes. Working.
Ghanaian male: Oh
wow. You are apart for a long time then!
At this point I
changed the topic hurriedly to avoid any further slips! After this
unfortunate conversation, we headed back to our beach to enjoy the
water. We got horribly burned even after applying sunscreen – well,
all of us except for who Lauren, who apparently tans quite easily. It
was an incredibly relaxing afternoon, but by the evening the waves
were getting quite rough and strong, and after watching the sunset,
we had dinner and headed to our rooms. It's incredibly strange having
the sunset so early; it sets around 6:00 p.m., and is almost
completely dark by 6:30. It's because of this that somehow my
night-owl habit is being forced out of me ... all three nights away,
without internet, and I was asleep by 11 p.m.!
Sunday morning we
awoke to bad news ... Lesley was incredibly sick (we think it was
food poisoning, as none of the rest of us felt sick at all). We had
planned to go to Nzuleo, the stilt village built on water, but after
breakfast we waited for awhile to see if she was feeling any better.
We walked down to the ocean and did our devotions by the water and
afterwards went for a walk along the ocean, where we were spotted by
a church group from Kumasi who wanted their pictures taken with the
'obruni's. It's funny feeling like celebrities just because of the
colour of your skin!
Sadly Les wasn't
feeling any better, so we headed to Nzuleo without her. You had to
walk along a long board walk to get to the end of a channel of water
that led out to a lake which I believe was called Black Lake. We had
to wait a long time, probably close to two hours, before we were
taken in a canoe to the stilt village. While we were waiting we met a
group of three Dutch girls who were volunteering in Ghana for a
medical placement and spending a week travelling. It's always fun to
meet others who are travelling and hearing their stories! We finally
boarded our canoe, and it was a bit of a scary experience to say the
least – our first sight of the canoes was of a man emptying it of
water! But we survived, and made it through the swampy waters to the
lake. Kylie and Lauren had a blast terrifying all of us of sightings
of crocodiles (even though they were small ones who live in the
water, and our guide said they only came out a night) and singing
songs at the top of their lungs. The stilt village was quite
fascinating – all of the homes are built on poles coming out of the
water, and there are board walks in between each home or shop that you walk over the water on. There
was electricity, which was surprising, but I think that we saw some
of the most poverty we've seen since we've been here. The locals use
the water from the lake for washing, drinking, and sewage. And the
school that they had built was a three room schoolhouse, but there
were no supplies, just basic wooden desks and one chalkboard in each
room. We so take for granted our classrooms back home, filled with
toys and posters and every type of book imaginable. These people
simply have nothing. There were two churches in the village – both
built on a slant, and they also had some shops along the boardwalk.
Everywhere we've been we've felt incredibly welcome, but here we felt
invasive, almost as if we were walking through someone's home that
had been turned into a tourist destination. But I'm glad we were able
to see it and experience this village that is almost 600 years old
(it was originally built on the lake to hide from their enemies
during a war).
When the tour was
finished and we canoed back, we spent a little time in the ocean
before we headed in for the evening, but by then the water was quite
choppy and rain was on its way. We spent the night watching Friends
on my laptop, and headed back around 10 this morning with a few stops
to visit some people that our driver, Anthony, wanted to visit while
in the area. Sometimes I can't get over how social Ghanians seem to
be – always paying a visit to one another multiple times to thank
them or offer condolences. I considered myself a social person, but
goodness, if I was half as social as the Ghanaians are I am sure I
would be completely exhausted all the time!
Tomorrow we start
our first full day week of teaching. It's going to be exhausting, so
I'm headed to bed early tonight! Hope everyone had a great long
weekend back at home, miss you all!!
Love,
Angie
Wednesday, August 29, 2012
Ants, Misadventures, & Marriage Proposals
Tonight Lauren and I sat at our kitchen table and played a game of owari, a traditional Ghanaian game. It's a fairly simple and straightforward game, involving pebbles and holes in a piece of board, but I was struck by how our lives are falling into somewhat of a routine; a busy day out, followed by a night of playing games or watching Friends (I got the whole series for $15 in Accra!). Things are starting to feel familiar here, from greeting Auntie Jo when we arrive from our adventures and laughing with Belinda over the events of the day. Today was the first day that I found myself lost in the craziness of the day, not finding myself very homesick until night fell ... and even then, it didn't seem too bad. So I am incredibly encouraged today!
Yesterday was a regular school day, but we are finding the challenges of teaching from a western perspective in an African setting to be a constant learning experience. From arriving in the morning and discovering that the builders who are working on the cabinets had deposited every little item onto the children's tables, to trying to teach the students that the toys are precious and hard to come by and therefore must be taken care of ... each day I think we all learn just as much, if not more than our students. But that's a good thing - life is a journey of learning after all! Last night we found ourselves exhausted, but I managed to do a little painting, which was incredibly nice and left me feeling a bit more grounded and myself. I climbed into bed rather early by my standards, but little did I know an exciting surprise would await. That exciting surprise would be ...
Ants.
Here there are ants everywhere - we have been trying to combat them with talcum powder around the feet of the tables and chairs, and it does seem to help a lot. But little did I know that leaving crumbs in my bed after a few hours of watching Friends would tempt those little ants to find a new home ... and consequently be a huge pest until 1:30 in the morning when I finally stripped off my sheets, shook them until the little critters were gone, and was finally able to get a good rest, however short it may have been.
I was up early to meet Evans, the school's groundskeeper and general go-to guy, to go over tuition payments and receipts. The night before he had stopped by to set up a time to meet, and this was our conversation:
Evans: So we should meet tomorrow to go over the tuition payments and get everything sorted out.
Me: That sounds great! Although we'll have to do it a bit early since the girls and I are going into Accra for the day.
Evans: Okay, so I'll be here at six?
I haven't quite mastered the art of getting up at sunrise like every other African has apparently - early in my books was 9 a.m.! Everyone laughed as I explained to him, "No, early Canadian time - how about 9?"
Anyways, Evans didn't end up showing up as something came up at the school, so the girls and I headed into Accra around 10:30 to meet our friend Kofi for his birthday and also to pick up a few things. We tro-troed it, just as we had on the weekend, but this time we had a bit of a mix-up and missed our stop. So we ended up farther downtown than planned, and started wandering the streets asking for directions to the mall. There were so many different vendors along the street, and so many people! At one point, I felt a hand grab my shoulder, and thinking it was Kylie grabbing onto me not to lose me, I reached back - and then realized it was indeed not a female hand, rather a male hand asking for my own hand in marriage! I don't think I'll ever get used to how forward every guy is here!
Even though we were lost, it was a lot of fun getting caught up in the hustle and bustle. We asked for directions from multiple people where the Accra mall was, and everyone kept pointing down the street and telling us to keep walking. Finally we asked another overly friendly male vendor, who gave us a slightly different directions. It's incredibly hard to understand directions here because there are no street names. Can you imagine? It's so frustrating! Finally we called Kofi, who confirmed how lost we were, and so we ended up taking a taxi to the mall. One person we asked said that it was close enough to walk to - ah, no. It took us almost half an hour in the taxi to arrive at the mall. Going in the opposite direction than everyone was telling us to go.
So, we ended up at the mall at 1:30 after getting lost, which cut down on our time to actually be in Accra, because Mary had warned us not to travel after dark as tro-tros are unreliable and there aren't many street lights between Accra and Asamankese. So we stopped at the pharmacy for me to pick up new malaria medication, went to Shoprite for some odds and ends, and met Kofi for a late lunch in the food court. It was a lot of fun, and then we tro-troed our way back to Circle Station, where we caught a tro-tro to Asamankese. All in all it was a crazy but fun day!
A lot of my friends have been encouraging me as I adjust to keep a gratitude and praise journal, and although I haven't started writing it down, I've been trying to be more aware of things I am thankful for as I walk through my day. Today I am incredibly thankful for Lauren and Kylie, who in all their craziness make me laugh so much! They are awesome, and I'm excited to spend the next three months with them exploring this country!
Yesterday was a regular school day, but we are finding the challenges of teaching from a western perspective in an African setting to be a constant learning experience. From arriving in the morning and discovering that the builders who are working on the cabinets had deposited every little item onto the children's tables, to trying to teach the students that the toys are precious and hard to come by and therefore must be taken care of ... each day I think we all learn just as much, if not more than our students. But that's a good thing - life is a journey of learning after all! Last night we found ourselves exhausted, but I managed to do a little painting, which was incredibly nice and left me feeling a bit more grounded and myself. I climbed into bed rather early by my standards, but little did I know an exciting surprise would await. That exciting surprise would be ...
Ants.
Here there are ants everywhere - we have been trying to combat them with talcum powder around the feet of the tables and chairs, and it does seem to help a lot. But little did I know that leaving crumbs in my bed after a few hours of watching Friends would tempt those little ants to find a new home ... and consequently be a huge pest until 1:30 in the morning when I finally stripped off my sheets, shook them until the little critters were gone, and was finally able to get a good rest, however short it may have been.
I was up early to meet Evans, the school's groundskeeper and general go-to guy, to go over tuition payments and receipts. The night before he had stopped by to set up a time to meet, and this was our conversation:
Evans: So we should meet tomorrow to go over the tuition payments and get everything sorted out.
Me: That sounds great! Although we'll have to do it a bit early since the girls and I are going into Accra for the day.
Evans: Okay, so I'll be here at six?
I haven't quite mastered the art of getting up at sunrise like every other African has apparently - early in my books was 9 a.m.! Everyone laughed as I explained to him, "No, early Canadian time - how about 9?"
Anyways, Evans didn't end up showing up as something came up at the school, so the girls and I headed into Accra around 10:30 to meet our friend Kofi for his birthday and also to pick up a few things. We tro-troed it, just as we had on the weekend, but this time we had a bit of a mix-up and missed our stop. So we ended up farther downtown than planned, and started wandering the streets asking for directions to the mall. There were so many different vendors along the street, and so many people! At one point, I felt a hand grab my shoulder, and thinking it was Kylie grabbing onto me not to lose me, I reached back - and then realized it was indeed not a female hand, rather a male hand asking for my own hand in marriage! I don't think I'll ever get used to how forward every guy is here!
Even though we were lost, it was a lot of fun getting caught up in the hustle and bustle. We asked for directions from multiple people where the Accra mall was, and everyone kept pointing down the street and telling us to keep walking. Finally we asked another overly friendly male vendor, who gave us a slightly different directions. It's incredibly hard to understand directions here because there are no street names. Can you imagine? It's so frustrating! Finally we called Kofi, who confirmed how lost we were, and so we ended up taking a taxi to the mall. One person we asked said that it was close enough to walk to - ah, no. It took us almost half an hour in the taxi to arrive at the mall. Going in the opposite direction than everyone was telling us to go.
So, we ended up at the mall at 1:30 after getting lost, which cut down on our time to actually be in Accra, because Mary had warned us not to travel after dark as tro-tros are unreliable and there aren't many street lights between Accra and Asamankese. So we stopped at the pharmacy for me to pick up new malaria medication, went to Shoprite for some odds and ends, and met Kofi for a late lunch in the food court. It was a lot of fun, and then we tro-troed our way back to Circle Station, where we caught a tro-tro to Asamankese. All in all it was a crazy but fun day!
A lot of my friends have been encouraging me as I adjust to keep a gratitude and praise journal, and although I haven't started writing it down, I've been trying to be more aware of things I am thankful for as I walk through my day. Today I am incredibly thankful for Lauren and Kylie, who in all their craziness make me laugh so much! They are awesome, and I'm excited to spend the next three months with them exploring this country!
Sunday, August 26, 2012
Missing school and a weekend in Accra
Hi everyone! Sorry it has been a few days since I've written. Last week I found myself under the weather ... I will spare you the details, but Thursday I spent the day in bed and missed a day of school, and Friday was spent recuperating. I was very thankful to have everyone checking up on me, from Belinda running to the pharmacy to Auntie Jo and Auntie Emma who stopped by to see how I was doing. I am well taken care of over here! No complaints from me :)
Thursday night the semester interns, Kylie and Lauren, arrived! It was exciting to have them move in. They'll be doing the women's literacy program here at the school twice a week. Since I was feeling sick, we decided to change our plans for the weekend (we had planned to travel to Beyin Beach, which is about six hours away along the coast) and it ended up being a good thing because although I felt better by Friday night, Kylie got sick, so a weekend of travelling wouldn't have been great for either of us. Instead, Saturday Lesley, Lauren and I boarded a tro-tro for our first trip! Lauren had already been on one earlier on the week, so she instructed and explained! Tro-tros are basically overstuffed vans that can seat about twenty or so people but are incredibly inexpensive to use. It cost us about 3 cedi ($1.50) to take the tro-tro to Accra, which is about a 2 1/2 hour drive. It wasn't as horrible as I expected - it was just incredibly squished - but I'm glad Lauren knew what she was doing, because it's hard to navigate here! There are no street signs, if you can believe it, so getting directions (and giving them) is a huge challenge!
After arrive in Accra, we arrived at "central" station. This is basically a central location where there are tro-tros heading all over the city and beyond. There were vendors selling whatever you can imagine and kids and homeless asking for money - it was a bit overwhelming. We found a taxi to drive us to our hotel, where we checked in, then cabbed it to Oxford Station. I was in search of a pharmacy to find new anti-malaria pills to take, and we found one almost right away. Unfortunately, buying malaria pills is extremely costly here - so I am trying to figure out a more cost-effective way of buying the pills. Please keep this in your prayers as I'm hoping to get this figured out as soon as possible. Right now I am trying to be extra cautious in always wearing bug spray and avoiding woody areas.
Our next stop was to find a restaurant for supper, and we had a wonderful treat! We had mochas and pizza!! It was an amazing, Canadian, delicious supper and worth every extra penny we had to pay to get it :) We enjoyed our supper, then walked down the street to Koala Department store. It was the first time I really experienced Accra, and realized how different this city is than any other city I've been in before. Open sewers lined the street, and although they were covered at times, you had to be aware always of where you were stepping so that you foot didn't slip through a hole or broken crate. This also meant there was an undeniable stench to the air as we walked along! By this point night had fallen, so we were able to see vendors with open fires, cooking over them and warming themselves up by the heat. We found the supermarket we were looking for, and discovered a wonderful treat - all imported vegetables and foods and canned goods! For certain things, the prices were atrocious, and other things it wasn't too bad - we all got a few treats that reminded us of home. I got an Aero chocolate bar, Lays chips, and some shortbread cookies. It's amazing the cravings you have when things just simply aren't available!
Afterwards we headed back to our hotel and settled into watch a movie. It's interesting that back at home we tend to be so picky about the places we stay in - here in Ghana, not so much! As long as you have a clean bed, you can't be picky if you have hot water (or running water in general - ours lasted one shower and that was it!) or if the garbage wasn't taken out! But being here has challenged my perspective - I am thankful simply just to have a roof over my head and a bed to sleep on, when so many have far less than that. We watched a movie, then Lesley headed to her room and Lauren and I stayed up far too late talking ... needless to say we almost napped in the morning while waiting for our ride to church to arrive!
So this morning we had the opportunity to attend an English speaking Ghanian church! The family that Lauren and Kylie stayed with this week in Accra for their orientation goes to this church, so their son, Kofi, picked us up from our hotel and brought us over. It was an interesting experience - lots of shouting, lots of cheering, lots of falling down, and lots of "Can I get an amen?" It was very different than what I am used to but I am glad to have had the experience. Everyone was incredibly welcoming; Lauren and I even had a poor girl forced to say hello to us by her mom, but I think we terrified her because I am pretty sure she's never seen a white person before and screamed and bawled her eyes out! Afterwards, Kofi's family invited us over for lunch and cake to celebrate his mom's birthday. We joined in and I managed to eat the fish stew they served us - which was a HUGE feat considering I don't like fish very much! But I am trying to be aware of cultural customs, and did not want to be rude by refusing a meal they so graciously offered us even if I didn't like the taste!
Kofi and his friend Eugene offered to take us to the market, so we made a trip there after lunch. It was a different experience, as the last time we were there we were with Mary, and this time vendors were much more bold. They were incredibly forward with us girls, always touching your arm or complimenting - it gets to the point where you don't want to buy anything they have to offer, no matter how much you like it because you are so annoyed. We didn't stay long - Kofi said that they were more forward than usual just because it was a Sunday, and very few people shop on Sundays. So we made a couple more stops, then we headed to Circle station to catch our tro-tro back to Asamankese. And we made it! It was a great experience, a quick weekend that went by very fast! Tomorrow is a market day in Asamankese, so we will head there, I have to stop at the bank, and then we are going to the dressmaker, Doris' house to hopefully pick out designs for our African dresses! Then Tuesday is another school day. Lauren and Kylie have gone off to bed, and Lesley and I am sure will soon hit the sack as well. It's funny how travelling can take a lot out of you! :)
Miss you all lots!
Love Angie
Thursday night the semester interns, Kylie and Lauren, arrived! It was exciting to have them move in. They'll be doing the women's literacy program here at the school twice a week. Since I was feeling sick, we decided to change our plans for the weekend (we had planned to travel to Beyin Beach, which is about six hours away along the coast) and it ended up being a good thing because although I felt better by Friday night, Kylie got sick, so a weekend of travelling wouldn't have been great for either of us. Instead, Saturday Lesley, Lauren and I boarded a tro-tro for our first trip! Lauren had already been on one earlier on the week, so she instructed and explained! Tro-tros are basically overstuffed vans that can seat about twenty or so people but are incredibly inexpensive to use. It cost us about 3 cedi ($1.50) to take the tro-tro to Accra, which is about a 2 1/2 hour drive. It wasn't as horrible as I expected - it was just incredibly squished - but I'm glad Lauren knew what she was doing, because it's hard to navigate here! There are no street signs, if you can believe it, so getting directions (and giving them) is a huge challenge!
After arrive in Accra, we arrived at "central" station. This is basically a central location where there are tro-tros heading all over the city and beyond. There were vendors selling whatever you can imagine and kids and homeless asking for money - it was a bit overwhelming. We found a taxi to drive us to our hotel, where we checked in, then cabbed it to Oxford Station. I was in search of a pharmacy to find new anti-malaria pills to take, and we found one almost right away. Unfortunately, buying malaria pills is extremely costly here - so I am trying to figure out a more cost-effective way of buying the pills. Please keep this in your prayers as I'm hoping to get this figured out as soon as possible. Right now I am trying to be extra cautious in always wearing bug spray and avoiding woody areas.
Our next stop was to find a restaurant for supper, and we had a wonderful treat! We had mochas and pizza!! It was an amazing, Canadian, delicious supper and worth every extra penny we had to pay to get it :) We enjoyed our supper, then walked down the street to Koala Department store. It was the first time I really experienced Accra, and realized how different this city is than any other city I've been in before. Open sewers lined the street, and although they were covered at times, you had to be aware always of where you were stepping so that you foot didn't slip through a hole or broken crate. This also meant there was an undeniable stench to the air as we walked along! By this point night had fallen, so we were able to see vendors with open fires, cooking over them and warming themselves up by the heat. We found the supermarket we were looking for, and discovered a wonderful treat - all imported vegetables and foods and canned goods! For certain things, the prices were atrocious, and other things it wasn't too bad - we all got a few treats that reminded us of home. I got an Aero chocolate bar, Lays chips, and some shortbread cookies. It's amazing the cravings you have when things just simply aren't available!
Afterwards we headed back to our hotel and settled into watch a movie. It's interesting that back at home we tend to be so picky about the places we stay in - here in Ghana, not so much! As long as you have a clean bed, you can't be picky if you have hot water (or running water in general - ours lasted one shower and that was it!) or if the garbage wasn't taken out! But being here has challenged my perspective - I am thankful simply just to have a roof over my head and a bed to sleep on, when so many have far less than that. We watched a movie, then Lesley headed to her room and Lauren and I stayed up far too late talking ... needless to say we almost napped in the morning while waiting for our ride to church to arrive!
So this morning we had the opportunity to attend an English speaking Ghanian church! The family that Lauren and Kylie stayed with this week in Accra for their orientation goes to this church, so their son, Kofi, picked us up from our hotel and brought us over. It was an interesting experience - lots of shouting, lots of cheering, lots of falling down, and lots of "Can I get an amen?" It was very different than what I am used to but I am glad to have had the experience. Everyone was incredibly welcoming; Lauren and I even had a poor girl forced to say hello to us by her mom, but I think we terrified her because I am pretty sure she's never seen a white person before and screamed and bawled her eyes out! Afterwards, Kofi's family invited us over for lunch and cake to celebrate his mom's birthday. We joined in and I managed to eat the fish stew they served us - which was a HUGE feat considering I don't like fish very much! But I am trying to be aware of cultural customs, and did not want to be rude by refusing a meal they so graciously offered us even if I didn't like the taste!
Kofi and his friend Eugene offered to take us to the market, so we made a trip there after lunch. It was a different experience, as the last time we were there we were with Mary, and this time vendors were much more bold. They were incredibly forward with us girls, always touching your arm or complimenting - it gets to the point where you don't want to buy anything they have to offer, no matter how much you like it because you are so annoyed. We didn't stay long - Kofi said that they were more forward than usual just because it was a Sunday, and very few people shop on Sundays. So we made a couple more stops, then we headed to Circle station to catch our tro-tro back to Asamankese. And we made it! It was a great experience, a quick weekend that went by very fast! Tomorrow is a market day in Asamankese, so we will head there, I have to stop at the bank, and then we are going to the dressmaker, Doris' house to hopefully pick out designs for our African dresses! Then Tuesday is another school day. Lauren and Kylie have gone off to bed, and Lesley and I am sure will soon hit the sack as well. It's funny how travelling can take a lot out of you! :)
Miss you all lots!
Love Angie
Wednesday, August 22, 2012
Being the new kid on the block
Today on our day off, I found myself up earlier than normal (at least on our days off!) around 8:30. I actually got eight hours of sleep for the past two nights, so maybe that means my body is adjusting! I found that I was having a bad reaction to the malaria medication I am on, so I am trying to skip this week of meds to see if it helps. So far I have been able to sleep a bit better, been less anxious, among other things, so I'm hoping a switch in meds will help me feel better.
This morning I had my first experience washing laundry by hand. Every day it seems Lesley and I have moments where we realized just how SPOILED we are as Canadians! Who knew laundry could actually be so much work? Belinda assisted .... or rather tried to teach me in between her laughing ... how to wash everything by hand. She filled three big basins of water, the first was for the first wash, the second bowl for the second wash, and the third for rinsing. According to her I couldn't get the technique right and she quickly took over (although I kept trying). To me I suppose it doesn't matter how much it's scrubbed, as long as it gets some soap in it, but not according to her! I think my clothes will be quite worn out by the time I return, since putting each piece of laundry in each bowl meant that there was a lot of soap residue. It's so interesting, that this to them is completely normal and they know no different. But here I am, sitting by a big basin in the backyard, thinking about how much washing machines save time. Can you imagine our grandparents and great-grandparents and the amount of time they must have spent washing a family's worth of laundry? I can't even imagine!
Anyways, after my catastrophe of doing laundry, this afternoon Lesley and I made our way down to the market for the first time by ourselves. On the walk there I was able to talk to Shelby for a few quick minutes - it was too quick though, and made me miss home quite desperately! But I try to think how blessed I am to even just have a phone to communicate home with, even if it doesn't seem like enough or as long as I'd like to chat. We stopped at the bank quickly, then wandered into a few shops for some odds and ends we were searching for. I think it was nice for both of us to go out on our own, without Belinda or Mary, because it made me feel a bit more confident being in a new place on my own. But as we walked along the streets, with shouts of "obruni!" following us, I had to wonder if I'd ever get used to the attention we receive simply for being white and foreign. It doesn't seem fair to me that their kindness extends to me just because I am different; and it makes me think about the way I treat others moving to my country. It also makes me think with sadness the way our ancestors treated those moving to a new country; it's hard enough being unable to speak the language and communicate, knowing how to interact or understanding the cultural customs, but to be ignored or rejected must have been incredibly hard. It's hard enough being in a new place and being welcomed; I can't imagine the difficulty of being in a new country and being treated as if you are unwanted.
We are busy ironing out weekend plans as the new interns, Lauren and Kylie, move in to Asamankese tomorrow night. It's one of our last chances for a four day weekend before we start full five-day school weeks. We'll see how that goes!
Lots of love,
Angie
This morning I had my first experience washing laundry by hand. Every day it seems Lesley and I have moments where we realized just how SPOILED we are as Canadians! Who knew laundry could actually be so much work? Belinda assisted .... or rather tried to teach me in between her laughing ... how to wash everything by hand. She filled three big basins of water, the first was for the first wash, the second bowl for the second wash, and the third for rinsing. According to her I couldn't get the technique right and she quickly took over (although I kept trying). To me I suppose it doesn't matter how much it's scrubbed, as long as it gets some soap in it, but not according to her! I think my clothes will be quite worn out by the time I return, since putting each piece of laundry in each bowl meant that there was a lot of soap residue. It's so interesting, that this to them is completely normal and they know no different. But here I am, sitting by a big basin in the backyard, thinking about how much washing machines save time. Can you imagine our grandparents and great-grandparents and the amount of time they must have spent washing a family's worth of laundry? I can't even imagine!
Anyways, after my catastrophe of doing laundry, this afternoon Lesley and I made our way down to the market for the first time by ourselves. On the walk there I was able to talk to Shelby for a few quick minutes - it was too quick though, and made me miss home quite desperately! But I try to think how blessed I am to even just have a phone to communicate home with, even if it doesn't seem like enough or as long as I'd like to chat. We stopped at the bank quickly, then wandered into a few shops for some odds and ends we were searching for. I think it was nice for both of us to go out on our own, without Belinda or Mary, because it made me feel a bit more confident being in a new place on my own. But as we walked along the streets, with shouts of "obruni!" following us, I had to wonder if I'd ever get used to the attention we receive simply for being white and foreign. It doesn't seem fair to me that their kindness extends to me just because I am different; and it makes me think about the way I treat others moving to my country. It also makes me think with sadness the way our ancestors treated those moving to a new country; it's hard enough being unable to speak the language and communicate, knowing how to interact or understanding the cultural customs, but to be ignored or rejected must have been incredibly hard. It's hard enough being in a new place and being welcomed; I can't imagine the difficulty of being in a new country and being treated as if you are unwanted.
We are busy ironing out weekend plans as the new interns, Lauren and Kylie, move in to Asamankese tomorrow night. It's one of our last chances for a four day weekend before we start full five-day school weeks. We'll see how that goes!
Lots of love,
Angie
Tuesday, August 21, 2012
Some Interesting Things
Yesterday was our day off, and Lesley and I took full advantage and slept in until 9:30. It's amazing how on a day with no agenda, you can so easily fill up your time. We visited with Belinda, read, I painted, caught up on emails and blogging. It was a good, relaxing day. Oh, and also I've got her addicted to Downton Abbey, so we've been re-watching all of those episodes! Takes my mind of off missing home :)
Today we had our second day of school, and it was amazing to see the change in the kids! One boy, Jonathan, who was shy and timid and cried and cried after his dad dropped him off actually ran up to me when I arrived to give me a hug! I was floored! But with newfound comfort in their new environment also means that the kids felt a lot more free to be wild and crazy - and I will say that I never expected kindergarten kids to tire you out so much! I have a new found respect for any mom - kids are exhausting!
I've done a lot of thinking while I've been here. Being thrown into a new culture, a new environment definitely makes me appreciate my family and friends from back home. I am unbelievably grateful for everyone who has wished me well, reached out through email, and just checked in to see how I am doing and adjusting. I am blown away by how blessed I am to have family and friends who care so much about me. I'm thankful for this time that has allowed me to see how blessed I am, especially in a school setting where kids long for love and attention, if the kids hanging off of me at school today were any indication of. I'm thankful for all of you who believe in me, even when I don't believe in myself. You are so appreciated and loved.
It's also really interesting to me the things that I miss while I'm here (besides the people). Everything is different here; I think moreso than I ever expected, from the food to the weather to the ground to the language. It's interesting, though, as I walked home from the school today I realized how much I missed grass. Here there is so much dirt (and it is a rich red, so different than our brown at home!); so many rocks; and so much brush and weeds.. But no lawns, no fields of grass. And funny enough, I realized what a blessing it is, to have a soft place to lay on in the summer, a lawn which fills with snow in the winter, and an outdoor carpet that cushions my bare feet as I walk across. I took it for granted until it wasn't there anymore!
I wish I could bottle up my experiences and hand them to all of you back home so you could experience them as well, because I don't think words do it justice. I wish you could hear the sounds of the Africans dancing and singing late into the night, as if darkness brings with it a newfound exuberance. I wish you could see the bright orange African sun that seems to shine much more boldly than at home. I wish you could find yourself in my chair in my small living room, wrestling with the idea of how to be content in a place yet all the while longing for home, and if those two opposites are possible.
No matter how difficult these past two weeks have been to adjust, and how homesickness still lingers heavily, I find within myself tonight a very grateful heart. For no matter the trials we face, if we look for it, our blessings are immense.
Missing you all!
Angie
Today we had our second day of school, and it was amazing to see the change in the kids! One boy, Jonathan, who was shy and timid and cried and cried after his dad dropped him off actually ran up to me when I arrived to give me a hug! I was floored! But with newfound comfort in their new environment also means that the kids felt a lot more free to be wild and crazy - and I will say that I never expected kindergarten kids to tire you out so much! I have a new found respect for any mom - kids are exhausting!
I've done a lot of thinking while I've been here. Being thrown into a new culture, a new environment definitely makes me appreciate my family and friends from back home. I am unbelievably grateful for everyone who has wished me well, reached out through email, and just checked in to see how I am doing and adjusting. I am blown away by how blessed I am to have family and friends who care so much about me. I'm thankful for this time that has allowed me to see how blessed I am, especially in a school setting where kids long for love and attention, if the kids hanging off of me at school today were any indication of. I'm thankful for all of you who believe in me, even when I don't believe in myself. You are so appreciated and loved.
It's also really interesting to me the things that I miss while I'm here (besides the people). Everything is different here; I think moreso than I ever expected, from the food to the weather to the ground to the language. It's interesting, though, as I walked home from the school today I realized how much I missed grass. Here there is so much dirt (and it is a rich red, so different than our brown at home!); so many rocks; and so much brush and weeds.. But no lawns, no fields of grass. And funny enough, I realized what a blessing it is, to have a soft place to lay on in the summer, a lawn which fills with snow in the winter, and an outdoor carpet that cushions my bare feet as I walk across. I took it for granted until it wasn't there anymore!
I wish I could bottle up my experiences and hand them to all of you back home so you could experience them as well, because I don't think words do it justice. I wish you could hear the sounds of the Africans dancing and singing late into the night, as if darkness brings with it a newfound exuberance. I wish you could see the bright orange African sun that seems to shine much more boldly than at home. I wish you could find yourself in my chair in my small living room, wrestling with the idea of how to be content in a place yet all the while longing for home, and if those two opposites are possible.
No matter how difficult these past two weeks have been to adjust, and how homesickness still lingers heavily, I find within myself tonight a very grateful heart. For no matter the trials we face, if we look for it, our blessings are immense.
Missing you all!
Angie
Sunday, August 19, 2012
A Weekend of Firsts
Friday morning we awoke bright and early - 5:30 am - to wait for our driver, Anthony, to pick Lesley, Mary, and me up to first head to Accra, then onto Cape Coast for the weekend. In typical Ghanaian fashion, he arrived an hour and fifteen minutes late, so we set off just before 7:30 am to Accra. We stopped their quickly to say goodbye to Mary - I know her family misses her, but I wish she could just stay here! :) - and then continue on our way to Cape Coast. It was a long drive there, since we got stuck in traffic due to market days and presidential visits. The president who is stepping in since the last president died was travelling to villages and towns to thank them for their support during the late president's funeral. So this meant we arrived at Kakum National Park, where the rainforest is, at 2:30 - it was a long day of driving to say the least!
Once we got there, paid our fee to get in, I was faced with a choice. As most of you who know me know, I am terrified of heights. Last summer I faced this fear and zip-lined - which, sadly, ended with a rescue attempt (another story for another day). But I did it! And am so proud my fears did not conquer me then. So I debated for a long time whether or not to do the canopy walk. The Canopy walk is roped bridges that are strung between a number of trees high up in the rainforest. The highest point is about 85 feet high. I could already feel my insides and knees shaking and growing weak at that thought - and once I was up there, you had to do it, so I wouldn't really have any choice but to continue. So, I decided to once again not let my fear of heights control me, paid my admission fee, and followed Lesley up the hike to through the forest.
And I made it!
It was terrifying - the first walk was probably the most scary. But as I continued, it became less scary and more beautiful! You couldn't really see straight down - afterall, it is so full of vegetation - so I think that it didn't seem as high up as I actually was. The trees and views from up at the top of the rainforest were spectacular. So many types of tall, beautiful trees! We took lots of pictures. It was amazing and I would gladly do it again!!
After Kakum, we stopped by a monkey sanctuary. I really wanted to go here and see some of the animals because since most of them are nocturnal, I knew I probably wouldn't see many while I'm here. So we saw all sorts of different types of rescued and injured monkeys, other mammals, crocodiles, and some reptiles too. It's a Dutch couple that have built this sanctuary and it was wonderful to hear the love and passion they have for rehabilitating these animals and then setting them back into their natural habitat.
Then we went on an adventure to find our inn, called Stumble Inn. It is literally off the beaten path - but absolutely beautiful! I was able to put my feet in the stormy ocean for the first time ever, and it was incredible. The waves were high, and we didn't stay long, but I was amazed at the splendor that is the Atlantic ocean.
Our Inn was really great - it was so relaxing, with a lot of huts and chairs to lounge in around the water. It was incredibly damp, always, though which was new for even Lesley, who's spent time in Florida and down south. Our hosts were so friendly and welcoming and made us feel right at home. The food was great (although slow!) and Friday night they had some traditional African dancers and drummers. I tried heading to bed early to see if I could finally sleep, but still no luck. Hopefully one of these days I'll be asleep before two.
Saturday morning we had planned on going to the Cape Coast castle, but we were too mesmerized by the sea, and we had also planned to do a Batik fabric making lesson which started a couple hours late. We enjoyed our breakfast by the ocean, and then Maria, a local, came and showed us how to make Batik fabric. Basically it is a technique using wax stamps impressed on fabric, then put in dyes. I chose red and two different types of stamps. Mine is fairly simple in comparison to their complex designs, but I love it! While we waited for our fabric to be dyed, a bead maker came by the Inn to sell his wares, but let us design our own pieces of jewellery. So Lesley made a necklace, and I made earrings out of his homemade beads. It was a very creative day indeed - I loved it! We spent the rest of the day reading, I was able to get a good signal on the internet to answer some emails before my computer died (there was no power except for a generator that ran for a couple hours at night), and just relaxing. We had a great day.
That night we had to switch rooms as the inn was full into a dorm-style room. It was a first for both me and Lesley, sharing a room with four other strangers (who happened to be Canadian, though!). But we made it and for $5 a night each, I'd most likely do it again!
Today we were up early for breakfast, then called a cab to take us to Cape Coast castle. This is the castle which was one of many that housed slaves during the transatlantic slave trade. It was an incredibly sombering experience. We walked through cells and dungeons where many faced their death, all because someone chose to believe that another human being's life was worth less than their own. It was horrifying to see where women were raped and beaten; to see where slaves who tried to escape where sent to die from lack of air or starvation. At the end of our tour, I stared out at the beautiful ocean that so mesmerizes me, and I was amazed at the idea that this ocean, which to me symbolizes beauty and God's grace, often symbolized death to these slaves. For if they made it through the castle and onto a slave ship headed across the ocean, chances were that meant they would die there as well. Women who showed signs of pregnancy were immediately thrown overboard, and slaves were fit so closely together as if they were sardines in a can. It was a sad reminder that things we see as so beautiful can be seen as a symbol of death when seen from a different pair of eyes.
After that, we headed back to our Inn for lunch and then to meet our driver to go back to Asamankese. Having had uncomfortable beds and shared facilities, both Lesley and I are excited for a bath and comfortable beds tonight! Hope everyone else had a great weekend, miss you all!!
XO
Angie
Once we got there, paid our fee to get in, I was faced with a choice. As most of you who know me know, I am terrified of heights. Last summer I faced this fear and zip-lined - which, sadly, ended with a rescue attempt (another story for another day). But I did it! And am so proud my fears did not conquer me then. So I debated for a long time whether or not to do the canopy walk. The Canopy walk is roped bridges that are strung between a number of trees high up in the rainforest. The highest point is about 85 feet high. I could already feel my insides and knees shaking and growing weak at that thought - and once I was up there, you had to do it, so I wouldn't really have any choice but to continue. So, I decided to once again not let my fear of heights control me, paid my admission fee, and followed Lesley up the hike to through the forest.
And I made it!
It was terrifying - the first walk was probably the most scary. But as I continued, it became less scary and more beautiful! You couldn't really see straight down - afterall, it is so full of vegetation - so I think that it didn't seem as high up as I actually was. The trees and views from up at the top of the rainforest were spectacular. So many types of tall, beautiful trees! We took lots of pictures. It was amazing and I would gladly do it again!!
After Kakum, we stopped by a monkey sanctuary. I really wanted to go here and see some of the animals because since most of them are nocturnal, I knew I probably wouldn't see many while I'm here. So we saw all sorts of different types of rescued and injured monkeys, other mammals, crocodiles, and some reptiles too. It's a Dutch couple that have built this sanctuary and it was wonderful to hear the love and passion they have for rehabilitating these animals and then setting them back into their natural habitat.
Then we went on an adventure to find our inn, called Stumble Inn. It is literally off the beaten path - but absolutely beautiful! I was able to put my feet in the stormy ocean for the first time ever, and it was incredible. The waves were high, and we didn't stay long, but I was amazed at the splendor that is the Atlantic ocean.
Our Inn was really great - it was so relaxing, with a lot of huts and chairs to lounge in around the water. It was incredibly damp, always, though which was new for even Lesley, who's spent time in Florida and down south. Our hosts were so friendly and welcoming and made us feel right at home. The food was great (although slow!) and Friday night they had some traditional African dancers and drummers. I tried heading to bed early to see if I could finally sleep, but still no luck. Hopefully one of these days I'll be asleep before two.
Saturday morning we had planned on going to the Cape Coast castle, but we were too mesmerized by the sea, and we had also planned to do a Batik fabric making lesson which started a couple hours late. We enjoyed our breakfast by the ocean, and then Maria, a local, came and showed us how to make Batik fabric. Basically it is a technique using wax stamps impressed on fabric, then put in dyes. I chose red and two different types of stamps. Mine is fairly simple in comparison to their complex designs, but I love it! While we waited for our fabric to be dyed, a bead maker came by the Inn to sell his wares, but let us design our own pieces of jewellery. So Lesley made a necklace, and I made earrings out of his homemade beads. It was a very creative day indeed - I loved it! We spent the rest of the day reading, I was able to get a good signal on the internet to answer some emails before my computer died (there was no power except for a generator that ran for a couple hours at night), and just relaxing. We had a great day.
That night we had to switch rooms as the inn was full into a dorm-style room. It was a first for both me and Lesley, sharing a room with four other strangers (who happened to be Canadian, though!). But we made it and for $5 a night each, I'd most likely do it again!
Today we were up early for breakfast, then called a cab to take us to Cape Coast castle. This is the castle which was one of many that housed slaves during the transatlantic slave trade. It was an incredibly sombering experience. We walked through cells and dungeons where many faced their death, all because someone chose to believe that another human being's life was worth less than their own. It was horrifying to see where women were raped and beaten; to see where slaves who tried to escape where sent to die from lack of air or starvation. At the end of our tour, I stared out at the beautiful ocean that so mesmerizes me, and I was amazed at the idea that this ocean, which to me symbolizes beauty and God's grace, often symbolized death to these slaves. For if they made it through the castle and onto a slave ship headed across the ocean, chances were that meant they would die there as well. Women who showed signs of pregnancy were immediately thrown overboard, and slaves were fit so closely together as if they were sardines in a can. It was a sad reminder that things we see as so beautiful can be seen as a symbol of death when seen from a different pair of eyes.
After that, we headed back to our Inn for lunch and then to meet our driver to go back to Asamankese. Having had uncomfortable beds and shared facilities, both Lesley and I are excited for a bath and comfortable beds tonight! Hope everyone else had a great weekend, miss you all!!
XO
Angie
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